Method of making expansion joints



Aug. 11, 1931. G. J. ULRICH METHOD OF MAKING EXPANSION JOINTS Filed Aug.10, 1929 INVENTOR G. c]- I/Zrich BY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 11, 1931UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE eaoaer. J. urmicn', or nonzero,

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F THREE-FOURTHS T0 cm I. ULRICH AND ONE-FOURTH TOE. R. HAWKE, BOTH OF MODESTO, CALI- I'OBNIA I IE'I'EOD OF MAKINGEXPANSION" JOINTS This invention relates to improvements in thestructural building art, and particularly relates'to expansionjointsused in connection with all kinds of structures, ar-

8 ticularly concrete structures such as bri ges,

be enduringma-nd not readily affected by subject to deterioration when.

moisture or exposed to the elements. A practical oint should also be onewhich is capable of being ut into place in an efficient handled and g ,1and workman ike' style without an excep- 2(5 tional amount ofskilledfefiort. Further- ,more the oint must be one which can beproduced at a fairly reasonable cost.

1 Heretofore expansion joints ofthis character have been produced andsold, but most are not essentially water-proof, and are also somewhathard to install under the varying conditions encountered.-

The object of my inventionisto produce, a highly eflicient joint ofstandard buildin material so arranged and treated as to a ford all theadvantages desired in joints of that character and eliminating to a verygreat degree all the disadvantages.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of material. p

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the material. In reparing myimproved expansion joint first form a vegetable fiber board composed offinely eomminuted vegetable fibers suitably pressed together to form theboard 1. This board may be either formed independentl or I may usecertain forms of fiber board a ready on the market, provided the sameanswer the requirements, as hereinafter set forth.

of them have one or more objections in that some are subject to rapiddeterioration, and to so apply '1 ing material a smallsection of myimproved expansion joint Application filed August 10, 1929. Serial No.384,971.

In the formation of this board when the fibers 2 are pressed and adheredtogether, there are formed or left between the several fibers smallinterstices or voids 3. The natural resiliency of the finely comminutedfiber itself in conjunction with these voids lends to the board acertain resiliency so thatwhen compressed it will have an expansibleaction when the pressure is relieved therefrom. Thus the board so formedprovides an'admirable material in itself for use as an expansion jointin the respects above discussed. However the fiber board itself withoutbeing suitably treated would hardly be a suitable material for use inthe respects noted for the reason that it might deteriorate when exposedto the elements, and also would be agtto readily absorb moisture,

which woul impair its resilient qualities and also cause deterioration.I found it therefore necessary in'making use of this material to sotreat it as to thoroughly impregnate the individual fibers as well asthe mass with a-preserving and water-proofing material. It becamenecessary however the preserving and'water-proofimpregnate theindividual fibers of the mass it must not fill the interstices or airpockets in the mass of the board itself, since if it did the resiliencyof the board would be lost and its efliciency as an expansion jointdestroyed.

I therefore gain the desired object by treatment of theboard with the folowing materialsand in the following manner:

a I st establish a dipping bath composed preferably of asphaltum, alight petroleum oil, and gasoline or like volatile fluid. I preferablyuse these in the following proportions, t'o-wit: Asphaltum, 112 parts;oil, 64 parts; and gasoline, 192 parts,-all by weight. I heat theasphaltum to a fluid .state and then add the oil and gasoline.

When the same are thoroughly mixed and in a perfect fluid state, andmaintaining thev same well heated, I immerse the fiber board therein andallow it to remain in the bath a suflicient length of time to becomethoroughly impregnated with the fluid. The

that whileit would'encase and board is then removed from the bath andpreferably placed in. a hot-air drying com- 1. artn'1ent, which may beof any desired type with suitable natural or induced ventilatingcurrents. At this point the volatile fluids escape from the board in theform of gas, leaving only the heavier materials, such as the asphaltumand oil, in the board. This is impregnated into and around theindividual fibers of the mass but the escape of the gases of thevolatile fluids leaves the interstices or air voids in the boardssubstantially unimpaired, so that the resiliency of the board is stillpresent, although the fiber material is thoroughly water-proofed andpreserved against deterioration. The light oil remaining with theasphaltum tends to keep the asphaltum in the mass in a softenedcondition rather than allowing it to become dry and hard, which mightcause it to become brittle and breakable in use; h

The material thus formed may be readily handled and cut up into varioussizes and shapes for use as expansion joint. material, due to its beingin board form and readily capable of being cut, and handled at will; andit has an inherent stability so that when pla ed in position it willremain intact without any tendency to slump or deform as is a commonobjection to certain other types of expansion joints. I

From the foregoing desw'iription it will be readily seen that I haveproduced a material for use as an expansion joint which has all theadvantages necessary and none of the disadvantages referred to. v

\Vhile I have herein set forth the preferred materials used in theconstruction of the joint it is to be understood that I do not wish tolimit myself to the, use of any particular type of vegetable fiber orany particular water-proofing and preserving materials, the above beingrecited merely as the preferred materials desired to be used in thisregard, although in actual practice I would of course reserve the rightto use any and all equivalent materials capable of the same use.

Having thus described my invention Whflh I claim as new and useful anddesire to se cure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The herein described method of treating vegetable fiber board havingair spaces between the fibers thereof consisting in establishing adipping bath comprising 112 parts asphaltum, 64 parts light oil and 192parts of gasoline, all by Weight, and then immersing the board into thebath until impregnated therewith, and then drying the board until thegasoline has escaped therefrom, leaving the fibers of the boardimpregnated with the asphaltum and oil, and the air spaces substantiallyunimpaired.

2. The method of preparing an expansion joint which consists in fillinga preformed resilient porous mass of fibrous material in the form offibre board with a mixture of asphaltum, oil and volatile material,Wherein the volatile material predominates and the amount of asphaltumand oil introduced is merely sufiicient to coat and adhere the fibretogether and not suliieient to occlude the inter-fibre spaces, and thenevaporating the volatile material prior to placing the joint insituation, whereby to leave the fibre board as a final product in theform of a porous and resilient mass of fibres each coated with theasphaltum and oil.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

1 GEORGE J. ULRICH.

